All In
by Kymfanfics
Summary: Rick and Michonne attempt to rebuild their lives in Alexandria with the group. As threats and new love interests arise, will they realize what they mean to each other before it's too late? (Multi chapter focusing on Richonne. This story follows the Season 6 MSP)
1. Chapter 1

**_A/N:_** _This is my first fanfic for the Walking Dead. I have shipped other couples before but this is Richonne... "This is...this is different" (in my Rick Grimes voice). lol._

 _Please feel free to leave reviews. You'll notice some changes with the deaths, etc. Warning: I know many Richonne shippers don't care for Jessie A. and this story will feature her. But bear with me and stay the course! I am a sucker for the slow burn and triangles (I know it sounds messy but what can I say!). I hope you still enjoy it!_

* * *

 _Rick looked around at the corpses surrounding him. Bodies after bodies lined up in the streets. Corpses of loved ones he tried to save._

 _Glenn. Maggie. Morgan. Daryl. Sasha. Carol. Michonne. They were all just… gone._

 _Dead. All of them. And soon, they would rise and come for him._

 _He grabbed his gun, all the while knowing he would let them._

 _He collapsed on the ground and stretched out in the middle of the street, waiting for them. One by one he heard them rise. The grunts. The moans. Their footsteps moved closer as they staggered toward him in a single file, closing in on him._

 _Each of them took their place forming a circle around him. Michonne first, followed by Daryl, Carol, Maggie, Glenn and all the others._

 _He jumped up, drawing his gun. His heart raced wildly in his chest as he pointed the gun around the circle, resting upon each one of them as they inched toward him, not knowing if he had the strength to pull the trigger and put a bullet in his loved ones' skulls. These weren't just walkers. They were his family._

 _Before he had to make the choice, they suddenly stopped moving._

 _Their eyes—now void of any life—stared back at him. Waiting for him._

 _They began chanting his name in unison, their somber whispers sending chills down his spine._

 _He searched each of their faces for any sign of life in the people he loved. But there was nothing left._

 _Rick placed his hands over his ears in an attempt to to drown out the voices calling out his name. The whispers grew louder, until his name echoed throughout the street. He lifted his gun in the air and fired a warning shot, but no one cared about bullets anymore. They were already dead._

 _"_ _What do you want from me?" he screamed. But deep down he already knew._

 _A figure stepped forward into the middle of the circle, its rotting hand stretched out toward him. He looked up and gasped at the lifeless face staring back at him._

 _"_ _C-Carl?"_

 _The boy parted his cracked lips, revealing a mouth of decayed teeth._

 _"_ _Dad," he moaned. "Help us."_

* * *

"Rick. Rick."

Rick's eyes opened suddenly, darting frantically around the room before landing on the hand gently resting on his shoulder. It took him a moment to realize the voice calling his name was real.

He pulled himself up on the couch and looked around the living room in a daze, adjusting his eyes to the sunlight streaming through the blinds. He looked down at his jeans and realized he still had on the same clothes he wore yesterday.

 _How long have I been sleep?_ he wondered.

He took a deep breath, trying to shake off the images from his dream. He wiped off the beads of sweats that rested above his brow. His shirt clung to his back damp with moisture.

 _It's just a dream_ , he told himself. _The worst part was over. Things were quiet again. They were finally safe._

 _For now_ …

Rick closed his eyes, the uneasiness at the bottom of his stomach stirring again. The feeling always served as a reminder that the unknown still lurked around the corner, dancing in the shadows. Even behind the newly rebuilt walls, he knew they were never truly safe. He just wasn't sure if his paranoia was to blame or the fact that he sometimes missed _it_. Even though he had secured a safe place for Carl and Judith in Alexandria, a part of him still ached to be out there.

Carol was right…living here, getting comfortable and letting their guards down made him feel weak. He couldn't take any chances, which is why he told Deana to keep someone in the tower on lookout duty and to increase their combat training. Some of the residents didn't deem his decision as necessary since two months had passed without any sign of walkers or danger surrounding their community. Without any visible threats in mind, they thought they were safe but Rick knew that could all change in an instant. Deanna seemed to think they were in the clear as well, but she also agreed with Rick that they needed to be prepared and stay watchful. They finally had come to a mutual understanding. Deana no longer dismissed his ideas or his plans to protect the community. And Rick let go of his "us" against "them" mentality when everyone risked their lives that night and stood with him and his family to clear the streets and run off the walker herd. Many of them survived that night but it still didn't come without some losses.

"Hey you. Are you okay?"

Jessie's voice snapped him out of his trance. He looked over at her lying down on the other end of the couch. She was also fully dressed in the same clothes she had on last night. They both had apparently fallen asleep on the couch.

"Yeah, I'm good," he told her. Despite his dream, it was the first time he slept through the night in months.

She scooted closer to him on the couch and wrapped her arms around his waist. He placed his hands over hers and gave them a gentle squeeze.

"You look worried. Did you have another dream? You were tossing and turning and mumbling in your sleep. It woke me up."

He immediately regretted sharing his reoccurring dream with her. He first had a similar dream a week ago. The only other person he told was Michonne, who reassured him that it was just paranoia and his desire to stay strong and protect his family. He didn't need to explain the details to her. She understood how he felt and battled with the same issues. The desire to feel safe and secure but to also remain strong.

Rick didn't want Jessie to worry about him, especially not with everything else going on.

"No dream," he lied. "Sorry I disturbed you. Guess I just had a hard time sleeping."

"This couch isn't the most comfortable. I'm sorry."

He gave her a small smile. "I've had worse. Trust me."

She returned his smile and moved to the other end of the couch, her face slowly transforming into a grim expression. Rick saw the pain in her eyes, the guilt she now lugged around reminded them both of her loss.

"Rick…," she said with a slight hesitation, "I get it now. I've seen it for myself. You were right about what's out there. It's horrible. I didn't realize it until, until…" she paused and took a deep breath. "Until it came here and everything was destroyed. But you've been out there. You tried to warn us but we didn't listen until it was too late. If we had listened earlier, maybe things would be different. Maybe…"

Jessie took another deep breath and bit her lip to keep it from trembling before she regained her composure.

"What's the worst thing you've done? When you were out there?"

Rick frowned. The question caught him off guard. He didn't like to think about those things. He told his family he would try to start over and that required him to put those things behind him. He didn't know how to answer her question. Murdered his best friend to protect himself and his family? Gutted a man to death in front of his son? Killed Gareth and his crew inside of a church? Tore out a man's jugular vein with his own teeth?

He looked down at his hands and wondered if her fondness of him would change if she knew the real truth about him and the things he had done. He caught her staring at him from the corner of his eye. Her big brown eyes stared at him with curiosity and an innocence that he had lost a lifetime ago. No, she wasn't ready. She struggled with covering herself in walker guts as a disguise when the herd came. She wasn't like the women in his camp —Sasha. Carol. Rosita. Tara. Maggie.

Michonne. She witnessed everything he had done to survive firsthand, many things that the people in Alexandria would call horrific. If they knew what Michonne knew about him and the things he had done out there, they'd look at him as a monster, Jessie included. Michonne never judged him. Michonne and the other women in his group were warriors. But Jessie—she wasn't built that way. She saw Rick kill Pete, but she still didn't know what he was fully capable of.

He decided then he would never tell her.

"Is there a reason you want to know?"

"I'm just curious."

He sighed. "I've done thangs I'm not proud of. But I'd do it again to protect my family. Without a doubt."

"Any regrets?"

"I don't have time to dwell on regrets anymore." As soon as the words left his mouth a pang of guilt hit him in the chest, reminding him of the few regrets that still lingered around. Regrets he didn't have time to think about when he was out there struggling to survive. But this new life in Alexandria—the stillness, the stability allowed him to ponder on the things he would change. He honestly didn't regret any of the killings he did to survive. But he wished he had made things right with Lori before she passed. He regretted not protecting his people from the governor and losing Hershel in the process. He wished they all survived the walker invasion, especially Ron for Jessie's sake.

"Wish I could say the same." Her eyes welled up with tears as she struggled not to break down over her own loss.

"You did what you could," he answered softly. He reached over and grabbed her hand and squeezed it tenderly. "It's not on you, Jessie. I'm sorry." He opened his mouth to speak but quickly closed it. He had no words to ease her pain. He had lost a lot of people he loved and cared about since this nightmare began, but the thought of anything happening to his children almost killed him. The time he thought Judith was gone hurt him more than words could ever say.

"I'm his mother. I should have protected him. Now it's just me and Sam. I wanted to know what you did because it couldn't be worse than what I've done. I didn't do enough. You've must have done something right because your kids are still with you."

He thought about Sam with sadness. The kid had lost two major people in his life. Rick would never regret killing Pete. It had to be done. But now Sam had lost his brother. An unfortunate mishap.

Rick recalled the night of Ron's death with heaviness. Ron had always been too eager, never one to follow instructions. Instead of walking through the herd quietly, he became a distraction. He wanted to prove to Carl that he could also protect his family. And things got ugly really fast. He really brought the death upon himself and there was nothing any of them could do about it. He had jeopardized everyone's safety in the process by firing his gun into the crowd. So when the herd pounced on him, they had to keep moving.

But now was not the time to place the blame. Rick had stayed up with Jessie last night, watching her cry, trying to comfort her in the best way he could. They spent the night talking about everything—from their childhood to their losses-until sleep caught up with them. The two of them had been spending a lot of time together over the past few weeks. He came over every day to check on her and Sam. This was the first time he stayed out all night. He hadn't meant to spend the night but he had fallen asleep exhausted. Michonne and Carl probably wondered where he was by now.

"I'm sorry," he repeated. "I try to focus on what and who I still have left. It helps a little. And you've got Sam. You've got people around here who care about you guys. You've got me."

She nodded, seeming satisfied with his response. "So I'm thinking maybe dinner later on tonight?" she asked, changing the subject to his relief.

"Isn't Deanna having one of her dinner parties tonight?"

"Tomorrow night," she corrected him.

He groaned. "I hate those thangs."

"I think you should go. It could be nice to get together with the others after everything that's happened. I think that's why Deanna really wants to do this. It'll be our first gathering to celebrate rebuilding our community."

Rick stood up and stretched. He already had dinner plans for the evening. Carol, Michonne and Maggie were planning a dinner gathering, and he looked forward to it. They had all been spending so much time with the others so tonight's gathering would only include his people.

"Actually, Michonne and Carol are planning this dinner tonight so…raincheck?"

She nodded her head, but the earnest look in her eyes told him otherwise. She wanted an invite.

He didn't know how the others would take it since tonight was just supposed to be about them but he extended an invitation anyway. He hoped they'd understand that Jessie was in a vulnerable place right now.

"You can drop by if you want to."

"Are you sure they won't mind? I don't want to impose."

"I'm sure. I'll let 'em know."

He bent down and gave her a kiss on the cheek before she could respond.

"See you guys later?"

Her eyes lit up. "See you later."

He grabbed his keys and headed home to tell Michonne to set the table for two more. He actually looked forward to seeing Michonne. They hadn't spent any time together lately even though they lived in the same house. He hoped he could catch her in time to have a few moments alone. There was something he needed to ask her.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** Thank you for reading the first chapter. Hope you enjoyed it. It really is a slow burn so I am building up to a few stuff and thangs for this story. So there will be more Jessie (sorry!) and other characters as well. I wanted to alternate and focus on Michonne's POV for this scene. Then more Rick & Michonne to follow. Feel free to leave comments. Thanks to those who left comments and/or follow this Richonne story.

* * *

 **Chapter 2**

Michonne showed up at Carol's house almost an hour earlier than her usual time. She couldn't wait any longer to drop Judith off. As much as she enjoyed spending time with the little one, she looked forward to her morning run. She needed to clear her mind and hoped running would lift her spirits. The morning's events put a damper on her mood and now she struggled to collect her thoughts. By the time she threw on some clothes and got Judith and Carl out of the house, her irritation only intensified, and now she couldn't erase the frown off of her face as she rang Carol's doorbell. Of course her mood didn't go unnoticed by Carol. Nothing got past her, as usual.

"Someone needs their dose of coffee…or something else to take the edge off," Carol whispered into Judith's ear, just loud enough for Michonne to hear. "I think mama Michonne may need a shot of Auntie Carol's whiskey. What do you think, Judith?" Judith let out a tiny laugh as if she actually understood Carol's comment. Michonne rolled her eyes at Carol, a tiny smirk tugging at her lips from Judith's reaction.

"Haha Carol. I didn't know you were so funny in the morning."

"I try. At least I got you to smile." Carol gave Michonne a knowing look. "You're upset. What's wrong?" She looked at her watch. "And you're earlier than usual."

Michonne shrugged. "Nothing's wrong. I need to get a run in this morning. I'm kinda tired."

"You look it. Where's Rick?"

Michonne refrained herself from rolling her eyes. She already answered this question three times this morning—four if you count Carl. She gave Carol the same response she told Deana, Glenn and Daryl when they stopped by the house, each of them interrupting her sleep on three different occasions with their back-to-back visits to speak with Rick.

"I don't know where Rick is."

Michonne ignored Carol's inquisitive look, just as she had ignored the others. It wasn't her job to know Rick's whereabouts 24/7.

"Well I was hoping you saw him this morning. Did you remember to ask him about pushing dinner back to seven? I also need his help with carrying some of these boxes. He's the one who insisted we have dinner at your house, so he needs to help me bring this stuff over."

"Haven't had the chance. I haven't see him this morning."

Carol raised her eyebrow, her mouth forming a silent "oh".

"I'm not his keeper," Michonne mumbled.

"I know. And you shouldn't have to be." Carol looked around, a look of realization crossing her face. "So I guess you got Carl off to class too. Go on and take care of whatever you need to do. I know you still need to make the casserole too. I'll bring Judith back with me tonight."

"Thanks."

Carol paused in the doorway. She looked like she wanted to say more. Michonne kissed Judith on the top of her head and headed off for her workout before Carol probed any further.

Truthfully, Michonne didn't know what she wanted at the moment. She was beginning to feel like an outsider in the Alexandria Safe-Zone. She fought for this place more than anyone in their group—as the one who really wanted to be here—but now everyone seemed to be reaping the benefits of creating and rebuilding a life except for her. Hell, even Carol seemed to be getting closer to Tobin, though she'd never admit it. Michonne spotted them taking walks together almost every day. And Carol's face seemed to light up whenever Tobin came around.

Michonne refused to feel bitter or jealous. She was happy for anyone who found a glimpse of happiness during the times they now lived in. They had experienced so much turmoil and tragedy together. She was forever grateful to Rick and his group for taking her in as one of their own. No one was meant to survive in this world alone. And they eventually made it to a community to live with other people, all trying to make life work together for what it was now.

 _But what did she want her life to look like here? What did she want for herself?_

Deana asked her that question right before the herd almost destroyed their community. She didn't have an answer then, and she still didn't have an answer now. But she'd thought about it every day since their conversation, especially after almost losing everything here.

And then there was Rick…

For the first time since they arrived in Alexandria, Rick didn't come home last night. Michonne wished he'd given her a heads up that he wasn't coming home since she was the one at home with the kids. While Rick was MIA, she was up at the crack of dawn tending to a grumpy Judith, putting her foot down with Carl to make sure he went to class despite his attitude, cleaning up for their dinner party tonight and taking personal messages for his visitors. Carol had a point—even though Maggie came up with the idea for their dinner, Rick had insisted they hold the gathering at their house. And now he was nowhere to be found.

Michonne assumed he stayed over Jessie's since they had been spending a lot of time together over the past few weeks. She rarely saw him anymore. She understood Jessie was going through a terrible time and dealing with the loss of her son. Michonne knew firsthand how devastating it was to lose a child. A part of her soul died the day she lost Andre, a piece of her heart gone forever. She had no one around to help her cope with her loss, so she was glad that Rick could be there for Jessie. She just wished he didn't leave her in the dark. She didn't need to know details. She just didn't want everything to fall on her.

A part of her wondered how Rick really felt about Jessie, and if they were serious yet. She knew it was only a matter of time. She saw the way he looked at Jessie before. She also heard rumors about a kiss but she never engaged in gossip or felt the need to ask Rick to confirm or deny it. She was happy he was moving on with his life, but it reminded her that she needed to create a life she wanted to live too. Everyone else seemed to be doing it. She also deserved her own version of happiness. She had suffered enough pain to last her two lifetimes.

Michonne was so absorbed in her thoughts that she almost didn't hear her name being called until she noticed a man on the other side of the street waving his hands in her direction. She slowed down and came to a complete stop as he jogged down his driveway to catch up to her.

Keith Madison. Attorney in his previous life before the world became a living hell. He was one of the first residents to join the community when Deana started letting people in.

"Good to see you again," he said, flashing her a warm smile. "So you're obviously a runner. I see you out here every morning. I run too."

Michonne squinted up at him as the sun beamed down on her face, discreetly checking out his tall, slender build and toned arms. His shorts showed off his lean and defined legs. He definitely had an athletic physique.

Keith held up his hand. "Well I have a confession. I used to run a lot more before all of this happened. I haven't been on a run in a while. I'd like to join you sometime if that's okay. I'm a little bit rusty but I'm sure I can keep up."

"Well…I like to run solo. It helps me clear my head."

He nodded his head, his eyes showing disappointment. Michonne groaned internally, upset at her inability to let down her guard.

 _What do you want for yourself?_ Deana's question replayed in the back of her mind.

She took notice of Keith's face. He had smooth dark skin and chiseled features, one that embodied a "pretty boy" in comparison to Rick's ruggedly handsome face. Something about Keith reminded her of her ex-boyfriend, Mike, and she wasn't sure if that was a negative or positive thing just yet. But maybe she could be open to finding out.

"You know what," she said, mustering up the courage before she changed her mind, "maybe you can join me, but on one condition."

He tilted his head to the side and grinned at her. "Tell me," he said, his baritone voice mixed with a gentle playfulness.

 _Was that a flirtatious look_ , she wondered. After living on the road for so long, trying to survive, and slaying walkers all day, Michonne still felt clueless when it came to normal things she did before, like engaging in conversation with men that didn't involve takeover strategies, road kill dinner options or other survival necessities. She almost forgot how it felt. Mike had been the first and only serious relationship in her adulthood. Memories of those days—romance, relationship, dating—seemed like they belonged in a past life.

"I'm up for a challenge, Michonne."

"You have to keep up or you will get left."

He chuckled. "Well, I'll be sure to keep up with you."

 _Definitely flirting_ , she decided.

"Hey, are you going to Deana's party tomorrow night?"

"I haven't given it much thought," she lied. She already debated about going to the party with a few people in the group. Maggie tried to convince Sasha, Daryl and Michonne to go but none of them wanted to attend. Michonne also mentioned the party to Rick in passing a few days ago and they both agreed to skip it. But Rick had other options. He probably planned on ditching the party to spend time at Jessie's place, which left Michonne at home alone. She wasn't willing to risk that scenario.

"I think you should go. I'd like to see you there."

She nodded. "You just might."

She gave him a slight wave and continued on her way. Michonne felt his eyes watching her as she jogged away. She couldn't suppress the grin that formed on her lips as she ran back home.

Michonne's smile faded when she walked in the front door and realized Rick was still gone. She took a shower, got dressed, finished cleaning and started prepping the vegetables for the casserole. She was chopping her third tomato when she heard the front door open. The sound of heavy boots thudded down the hall.

Rick was finally home.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:** Thanks again for the feedback and reading the story! Yes I agree Rick is in the wrong, although he is trying to be supportive.

I decided to focus strictly on Rick and Michonne in this chapter. Lots of conversation (but necessary) so you may find it's a little bit longer. :)

Note: I changed Keith's profession from a pediatrician to an attorney (he's not in this chapter but just an FYI moving forward in case I forget to mention it elsewhere)

Enjoy!

* * *

 **Chapter 3**

Rick paused in the kitchen doorway, trying to gauge Michonne's mood before he spoke. She seemed so preoccupied and focused as she moved seamlessly around the kitchen. He almost didn't want to disturb her. He cleared his throat and stepped into the kitchen.

"Hey there."

"Hey yourself," she replied, chopping up an array of vegetables.

"How are you?"

"Okay."

"What's cooking?"

"Food."

Her one-word replies weren't unusual—sometimes Michonne wasn't a person of many words. The two were alike in that way. But the way she answered him now sounded different. Her tone bothered him. Rick sensed the coldness in her voice. She seemed aloof. Distant. She hadn't so much glanced in his direction since he walked into the room.

"Well I'd be a lot better if I wasn't talking to your back."

Michonne put down the knife and paused for a moment before she turned around to face him.

"Hi," he repeated.

"Hey yourself," she said again, folding her arms across her chest.

She eyed him with a frown, not returning his friendly smile. "You look...rested."

He ran his hands through his slightly disheveled curls. "Actually I am. I went over Jessie's to check on her and Sam last night and ended up falling asleep. Slept through the night."

A genuine look of concern flashed across her face. "How is she?"

"She's having a hard time. Losing Ron is taking a toll on her. Can't say I blame her though. I remember how awful I felt when I thought we'd lost Judith. I can't imagine losing a child. I don't ever want to know what that would feel like."

Michonne's eyes casted a sad look as she stared down at the floor. She turned back around and continued chopping her vegetables, the knife hitting the cutting board faster and harder than before. Rick detected the sudden change in her demeanor. Her entire body looked rigid.

"You okay?"

"I-I just don't like to think about that night."

Rick sighed. "Makes two of us."

He looked around. "Carl? Judith?"

"I sent Carl to class and dropped Judith off with Carol so I could clean up and finish prepping. Maggie put me in charge of the chicken casserole."

Rick noticed the house looked immaculate. Dishes were clean. Floor swept and mopped. Nothing out of place.

"Well the house smells and looks great."

"Well somebody had to hold down the fort," she said, tossing him a towel. "Make yourself useful and wipe down the table. And I think the faucet has a leak."

"Yes, ma'am." After wiping down the table, Rick bent down to look underneath the sink. He found himself eyeing Michonne when she wasn't watching. Her eyelids looked heavy. Puffy. "You look tired."

She sighed, placing the casserole in the oven. "Well, let's see. I went to bed late because Ms. Judith decided she wanted to cry all night. Then I was up at the crack of dawn because she thought I wanted an encore. Finally got her to sleep. Then, the doorbell rang for you three different times. Apparently Deana, Glen or Daryl didn't share the memo you weren't home. And Carl had a major attitude today about going to class. So I went for a run and came back home to clean up and finish cooking."

Rick felt exhausted just listening to her as he tightened up the faucet with a wrench. Guilt crept over him when he realized his absence was the reason for her irritation.

"Easy fix. The sink's good to go." He stood up and tapped Michonne lightly on her shoulder. She turned around with a slight hesitation, giving him an aggravated look as she waited for him to speak.

"I'm sorry, Michonne. I didn't mean to leave you here with all of this. It was my idea to have everyone over for dinner here tonight. I know I haven't been around much lately because I've been trying to help Jessie and Sam…but this won't happen again. I promise."

She dropped her hands to the side. Her shoulders relaxed, her body appearing more at ease. "I know you're helping Jessie work through some stuff, but today was a bit much. Let's not let it happen again."

He looked into her eyes. He wanted her to see that he appreciated her and he was truly sorry. He honestly didn't know what he would do without her.

"It won't. I'm sorry. And thank you for everything."

She nodded. The tension between them evaporated. Rick rarely cared when people were upset with him, but he never liked when him and Michonne were at odds with each other. They rarely argued and even when they did have their disagreements, they usually came to a mutual understanding quickly. It felt good to clear the air.

"What else you got going on today?"

She looked at the clock on the wall. "I promised Sasha yesterday I'd relieve her for a few hours today on lookout duty in about an hour," she said, failing miserably at her attempt to stifle a yawn.

Rick laughed at her. "Looks like someone could use some sleep. How about I'll take care of the tower shift and you get some rest before tonight? Okay?"

She smiled for the first time since he arrived home. "Okay."

He nodded his head toward the hallway. "You mind joining me outside for a few minutes before your nap? We haven't had a chance to talk lately."

She nodded. "I can do that."

* * *

After taking a shower and changing his clothes, Rick waited for Michonne on the front porch while she put the finishing touches on her casserole. Her cooking skills had pleasantly surprised Rick and Carl when they came to Alexandria now that they actually had real food to eat. Though she admitted she hated cooking and ordered a lot of takeout back in her old life, Rick thoroughly enjoyed every one of her meals. No woman could make a meal like Michonne.

He closed his eyes, embracing the quietness. The cool breeze felt good against his warm skin. He opened his eyes when Michonne sat down next to him on the porch swing. She passed him a bottle of water.

"Looks like it's just the two of us."

"Just the two of us," she repeated.

"We haven't done this in a while."

She nodded her head. "I know." They sat on the swing enjoying the silence for a few minutes. Most of the residents in Alexandria relied on filler talk and conversations about frivolous things he cared nothing about anymore. There was no need for mindless chatter to avoid silence when he was around his family, especially Michonne. No expectations for conversation for the sake of talking. They were comfortable enough to enjoy the stillness. He never imagined they would have moments to catch their breath in a place like Alexandria, but Michonne believed it would happen. And now here they were.

Michonne looked over at him, eyeing his change of clothes. "Looks like you finally had a chance to retire yesterday's outfit."

"Judging much?"

"Yes," she said, the corners of her mouth turning up in a teasing smirk, "but silently."

"Well, nothing too exciting happened," he clarified, avoiding her gaze. "Like I said, she had a rough night. Just a lot of talking."

 _Wait, are we really talking about this?_

Michonne reached for his water and took a sip. "So you and Jessie…are you guys getting serious? Are you two a thing?"

He chuckled. "I don't even know how to answer that. I've only had one serious relationship in my life…"

She gave him a sideways glance. "Only you know how you feel. But it's clear to me you like her."

"I'm just trying to be there for her during her grief."

"We both know it's more than that."

He shrugged, suddenly wishing they could change the subject. "Maybe."

More silence. He wasn't sure why their conversation felt so awkward or why he couldn't admit to Michonne that he had developed feelings for Jessie. Ones he didn't even have time to process or sort out. This was Michonne. They had killed people together. They shared a home together. There was no question of where she would live when they arrived in Alexandria. He trusted her with his children more than anyone else. But talking about Jessie didn't feel easy at all.

Rick hated to admit it, but it seemed like things were easier between them when they were out on the road. Alexandria had complicated their friendship, and he wasn't sure why. They were usually on one accord about things, so he knew Michonne felt it too. Regardless of how he felt about Jessie, he still wanted to keep his family close, and Michonne was family to him. They'd been through so much together.

 _What's the worst thing you've ever done out there?_

Jessie's question still lingered in his mind. It awakened dark memories he thought he had buried deep within. But her question and the damn dream started resurfacing things he wanted to forget.

Michonne saw him do things that no one else in the family witnessed, except for Daryl and Carl. After all they'd been through, after everything he'd done, Michonne would answer the question he wasn't ready to ask himself. The answer he needed to know.

"What's the worst thang we've ever done out there?"

Michonne raised her eyebrow in confusion.

"Let me clarify. What's the worst I've done while we were out there?"

She titled her head to the side and narrowed her eyes, giving his question some deep thought.

"Wow. I didn't know your list would be that long," he said after a few moments of silence. He cut his chuckle short when she still didn't answer him. He never thought Michonne would actually have a long list. They all had done horrible things. It's how they survived and were still living among the dead.

He looked at his watch. "You gonna answer sometime today?"

"Well, I have a couple things in mind. It's just hard to decide what comes in first place."

His mouth went dry. He took the bottle out of her hand and took a sip of water, awaiting her response. "Well I don't have all day. I'm covering someone's lookout duty, remember?"

"Okay fine." She pointed her finger at his chin. "The beard."

He shook his head at her and chuckled, as he rubbed the small stubble of hair resting on his chin. He recently decided to let it grow back out. "Did you really just say my beard?"

"It looks good now. But letting it grow into a full-on Moses beard was probably the worst thing you did on the road. I let you know at the prison I wasn't a fan. Remember, when I gave you that razor"

He couldn't stop laughing. "Yea you told me my face was losing the war."

"Exactly, and you just let it get more out of control. Blatantly defying my request."

"Sorry I didn't have many options. Protecting us was the first priority."

He playfully tapped her shoulder. "Come on, Michonne. You said there was something else."

She stopped laughing and looked into his eyes with a serious facial expression. He braced himself for her answer.

"You really want to know?"

 _No not really. "_ Yeah."

She took a deep breath, her lips parting into a small smile. "Letting Jessie cut your hair. Judith could have done a much better job."

They both started laughing nonstop for several minutes. It felt good to laugh and even better to see Michonne laugh, especially after how upset she was with him this morning.

"Well, you're not complaining now."

"That's because you let Tara cut your hair this time."

"You're just full of jokes today. Maybe I should piss you off more often."

Michonne regained her composure and looked at him with curiosity.

"Seriously, Rick. Where is all this coming from?"

He shrugged. "Jessie asked me this morning and it just got me to thinkin.' I've done so much out there…" His voice trailed off. The silence returned, absorbing them both once again.

"Hey," she whispered. He snapped out of his daze and found her brown eyes staring at him with concern. "Did you tell her anything?"

"You mean that I ripped a man's throat apart and gutted another one to death in front of Carl? No, I couldn't."

"You mean a man who tried to rape your son."

"Yea, that man." He shook his head. "She's not ready for it. She helped us get through the herd that night but she's not Sasha. She's not Maggie. She's not Carol." He paused and looked at her. "She's definitely not you."

"You got that right. I thought she was going to pass out when we had to use the walker guts to make our disguises."

He sighed, remembering that night and how Jessie, Sam and Ron barely held it together. "Yea, me too."

"Look Rick. If you wanted a serious answer from me, you're not going to get one. These people here will never understand what we've been through. These people would be lucky if they became close to who you've become. _We've_ done things for each other that we would have never done when life was normal but it hasn't been for quite some time now. We did what we had to do to survive. The decisions you made kept us alive. The things you did for your children, for Carol, for Daryl…for me. Never regret any of it. You did whatever you needed to do to get us here. It's like I told Heath, we've all done things that made us feel afraid of ourselves afterwards. Sometimes you didn't have a choice. None of us did."

He nodded, a feeling of relief came over him knowing that she still viewed him the same. His family's opinion still mattered. Michonne's definitely did.

"I'd do it again if it meant keeping my family safe. I'm just trying to move forward. Jessie likes to talk about it. It's like ever since she lost Ron she's infatuated with life beyond these walls and what I've done. I'd just like to forget."

"I get it. And if you're not ready to tell her about anything that's one thing. But you can't build something with someone based on who you were before all this. You're not that person anymore. I'm not saying you need to tell her every single detail but…" she paused and met his gaze, "if you truly can't share who you are today with her or if being with her makes you feel ashamed then maybe…" She let her voice trail off.

"Yea maybe," he whispered.

"We have a fresh start now, but we can't pretend that who we've become doesn't exist."

He nodded. Michonne was absolutely right. He wasn't sure how his present self would fit in with his new life here or with Jessie. Before he could dwell on his situation, Michonne stood up and stretched, letting out another yawn. "I'm going to sleep. Don't forget to—"

"Help Carol with the boxes. I haven't forgotten from the last 20 times she's reminded me."

She gave him a soft smile and disappeared into the house.

* * *

Rick took a few moments to straighten up the kitchen before heading to the lookout tower. He was almost out of the front door when he realized he forgot to tell Michonne he invited Jessie and Sam to dinner. Rick walked down the hall and noticed her bedroom door slightly ajar. He peeked inside and found Michonne stretched out across her bed, knocked out cold. She hadn't even changed out of her clothes. Not wanting to disturb her, he grabbed a pen and paper and left her a note on her dresser.

 _Need room for two more tonight. I invited Jessie and Sam. Thanks._

He glanced at her face—her expression looked serene as if she was having a peaceful dream. Rick felt a slight chill in air, so he grabbed a blanket and placed it over her. As he was turning to leave the room, he heard Michonne speak.

"Sorry," he said turning around, "I was just leaving a note. I didn't mean to…"

He stopped talking when he realized Michonne's eyes were still closed, her breathing still slow and steady.

 _Michonne talks in her sleep?_ He never noticed it before. She mumbled something underneath her breath. Sounded like a name. Torn between leaving and staying, his curiosity took over. He inched closer to her bed just in time to see her lips part. She called out the name again in a soft, yet clear whisper.

"Andre."

Rick paused. _Who the hell is Andre?_ He never heard her mention that name before. He tried to decipher her tone. Sensual? Fearful? Happy? He waited for her to speak again, but she took a deep breath and rolled over to her side, her face returning back to its peaceful state.

He walked out of her room and closed the door. Hearing Michonne whisper a guy's name in her sleep made him feel like he just invaded her privacy. Maybe he was reading too much into it, but Rick couldn't shake the feeling that the name Andre meant something to her. And he intended to find out.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N:** Thank you so much for reading the first three chapters and for your feedback! And patience! My time has been limited lately but I finally had a chance to update the story. I won't take this long for the next chapter (currently working on it now). You'll notice this chapter is longer and involves the other TWD characters but there is still a little Richonne. Still building so I hope you'll stay with the story. Your feedback keeps me motivated so feel free to leave comments. Thank you!

* * *

 **Chapter 4**

Michonne took a deep breath, attempting to eat the last piece of food on her plate. Unable to take another bite, she placed her fork down and settled back in her chair. The sounds of chewing and silverware clinking against ceramic plates surrounded her as everyone delved into their second helping in silence. Laughter and conversation stopped the minute she brought out her second casserole fresh from the oven and placed it on the table. As much as Michonne loathed cooking in her old life, she really enjoyed spending time in the kitchen nowadays. Cooking was a normalcy she had taken for granted back then. One she never thought she missed until now.

Morgan patted his stomach and pushed his plate to the side. "Job well done ladies. Well done."

Daryl nodded his head in agreement, licking his fingers after scraping the remaining food from his plate. "Got any left?"

Sasha rolled her eyes at him. "You ate up the first one. Now you're scraping your plate. What's next? Licking?"

Daryl flicked Sasha off and garnered a unison "ewww" from the ladies when he picked up his plate and licked it. "Now I'm done," he said with a loud belch.

Sasha threw a napkin at him from across the table. "You're disgusting."

"Thanks."

The jokes and conversation resumed, and Michonne found herself engaged in three different discussions at the same time: cooking, favorite movies and Heath's schoolboy crush on Sasha— the hottest topic at the table despite Sasha's menacing glance at Rosita to change the subject.

After all of the prepping, cooking, cleaning and rearranging the furniture to accommodate an extra table and chairs, they all finally had a chance to relax. Michonne felt energized and like a new person after her much needed nap. Her conversation with Rick had also lifted her spirits. She felt relieved they had come to an understanding. She didn't want to be angry with him anymore.

As if reading her thoughts, Rick looked in her direction and pointed at the two empty casserole dishes in the middle of the table. He gave her a thumbs up, a small smile on his lips. She smirked back at him and stood up to clear off the table.

"Want some help?"

"No, I got it. Thanks."

Rick ignored her and started gathering everyone's empty plates. "You, Carol and Maggie have done enough. Some of us can clean up. Daryl, Abe, Sasha, care to help?" Before she could protest, they finished cleaning off the table and disappeared into the kitchen.

As soon as Michonne returned to her seat, her mind drifted back to her conversation with Rick. She was surprised at how guarded Rick was about the Jessie situation. The two had been through so much yet he continued to keep her at arm's length here in Alexandria. Of course he liked Jessie. Maybe he just wasn't ready to admit this truth to himself yet. But when he realized how he felt—and Michonne knew it was only a matter of time—she had an inkling things would just become more complicated.

She was beginning to miss their friendship pre-Alexandria. Though everything around them was turbulent and unstable out there, things between them seemed easier. Effortless. Now they struggled. As if normalcy complicated things. She wondered if Rick had picked up on the shift in their friendship and if living here would continue to drive them apart. She wasn't even sure how their living situation would work out if things continued to head in this direction. Of course she had options and would be fine with moving in with Sasha or Carol if it came down to that. But living here in this house with Carl, Judith and Rick…it felt like home to her.

 _Stop it Michonne._

She let out a quiet sigh in frustration. Maybe she was getting ahead of herself.

"Michonne?" Glenn called her name, interrupting her thoughts, "We wanted to make the group toast now."

Right. The group toast. Maggie mentioned that she wanted to have one tonight. Michonne nodded, remembering she found a bottle of grape juice in the pantry earlier.

"Okay, I'll grab some extra glasses. We only have juice here." Michonne pointed to the bottle of gin in Rosita's hand. "And unfortunately, I don't think they're sharing." Apparently Rosita, Tara and Sasha found the bottle earlier that afternoon and started drinking before they arrived.

Maggie and Glenn shared a glance. "Juice would work fine," Maggie told her.

Michonne walked into the kitchen and noticed Sasha, Daryl, Rick and Abraham huddled together in a circle engaged in a hushed conversation. No one heard her walk in.

"We don't tell anyone," she overheard Rick tell them.

Her stomach dropped at Rick's comment. Keeping her at arm's length about his personal life was one thing—and she respected his decision to do so—but she was done with being left in the dark about matters that involved the group. And Rick's intense whisper and their serious faces told her something was going on. She didn't need to hear specifics to know that.

Michonne cleared her throat, trying not to look as annoyed or suspicious as she felt. She wanted to give Rick the benefit of the doubt. They all turned around and looked at her. No one spoke.

"Maggie and Glenn want to make a toast," she told them in a flat tone.

The others dispersed from the kitchen, leaving Michonne alone with Rick.

He walked toward her. "How long you been standing there?" he asked, still keeping his voice low.

"Long enough to hear you tell them to keep whatever you're talking about a secret."

"It's not a secret."

"Then why are we whispering?" She let out a frustrated sigh. "Look Rick, I thought we were done with secret plans and missions. Your last one almost got you kicked out of here. What part of I'm still with you did you not understand? Or did you forget?"

As she stepped around him to grab the grape juice out of the refrigerator, he reached out and grazed her wrist with his finger. The soft look on his face told her he still remembered her words.

"Hey, when I told them not to tell anyone I meant anyone outside of this house. I was going to tell you before I told the whole group. It just kinda came up and I wanted to get the full story before I brought it to you or anyone else."

Michonne took a step back and searched his face, deciding she believed him. "Rick, what's going on?"

He sighed. "Sasha told Daryl she spotted someone watching this place on her overnight shift. That's why he stopped by this morning."

Michonne frowned as the tension resurfaced in her stomach. "What? Are you serious?"

"Sasha says she's sure about what she saw. Even though it was just one person she saw something. And then they were gone."

The thought of someone out there watching them made Michonne uneasy. If Sasha caught one person watching them, then others could soon follow. How many were there? One? Twenty? Fifty? She hoped Sasha was wrong but knew that was unlikely. Sasha was the best person on lookout duty. She never missed anything. So if she saw someone, then that person was out there.

"Michonne," Rick said, his face showing concern, "we'll figure this out. Could be nothing."

"Or it could be the start of something."

"True. But either way, it's better Sasha saw what she did now. No matter what, no one's taking this place from us."

"No, they're not," she agreed. She trusted Rick to do whatever he felt was best to protect them. She planned to do the same.

He gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze and helped her carry the extra glasses and Carol's dessert—her infamous chocolate chip cookies—back to the dining room.

She took a moment to collect her thoughts before rejoining the group. The rest of the group needed to know about the situation but she left that part up to Rick. He would tell them at the right time. She helped Maggie pour juice into everyone's cup.

Maggie raised her glass in the air. "It's our first official dinner together...with actual real food and a little peace we never had before."

Glenn nodded. "Yea and without danger or threats of being attacked by a herd of walkers or other groups…at least for now."

Michonne shared an uneasy glance with Rick and looked away. She hoped Glenn was right.

Maggie continued with the toast. "Right. So let's enjoy the moment. I'm glad everyone made it tonight. We always say how we're so lucky and blessed that we found each other. People normally can't choose family. But we did. Here's to making it through. To always being here for each other. To family."

"To family," they all repeated, clinking their glasses with each other.

Maggie held up her hand. "We also have something else to tell you guys. I figured tonight would be the perfect time to do it." She reached for Glenn's hand. "We're expecting a new addition to the family."

The room fell silent but only for a moment. Once the shock of Maggie's news wore off, everyone gathered around them. Squeals and laughter echoed throughout the room, the joy the couple exuded was contagious. Michonne gave them both a big hug, feeling truly happy for Glenn and Maggie. The happiness also came from knowing the couple could build a life somewhere safe and raise a family. Pregnancy out there beyond the walls was no way to live or a place to raise a family. Nothing was guaranteed even behind the walls, but Alexandria was a start. At least they had hope here.

* * *

Michonne excused herself to the bathroom to brush her teeth after dessert, a habit—or borderline obsession as her friends called it— she developed in college. She was halfway down the hall when she heard a knock at the front door. Daryl probably went out for a smoke and locked himself out. Again. She shook her head with a smile, determined to tease him and make him wait. Her smile disappeared when she peeked through the keyhole.

 _What's she doing here?_

Michonne paused before she opened the front door to face the unexpected visitor.

"Hi, Michonne." Jessie stood on the porch with a pie in her hand. "I wanted to bring by some dessert. Is Rick here?"

Michonne widened the door and stepped to the side, hoping her usual poker face masked her true emotions—she didn't want to invite Jessie inside. She wasn't even sure why she showed up with a baked pie in her hand tonight of all nights. She hoped Jessie just wanted to drop off dessert and head back home, especially since Sam wasn't with her. "Come on in. I'll go get Rick," she told Jessie.

Jessie smiled and walked into the house. She peered down the hall in the direction of the noise and laughter that spilled into the hallway. "Thanks. Hope I'm not intruding."

 _But you are._

Michonne managed to give her a small smile, despite her irritation from her surprise visit. Their intimate family moment interrupted by an outsider.

"I'll go get Rick for you."

Michonne spotted Rick coming out of the hallway bathroom out of the corner of her eye. She walked down the hall and nodded her head toward the front door. "You got company."

He checked his watch. "Jessie and Sam are here? I assumed they weren't coming. Thought she changed her mind."

"Yea well Jessie's here solo. Not Sam." Michonne paused, suddenly noting Rick's reaction. No look of surprise on his face. He expected them tonight. "Wait, you invited them? I thought you said tonight was just family."

"I know. But she wanted me to have dinner with them tonight and I told her I couldn't because of our dinner. I just felt bad for them so I told her to come by with Sam tonight."

Michonne felt like she was losing her poker face. She lowered her voice. Even though Jessie waited in the foyer at the other end of the hallway, she still didn't want her to hear them. "Yea but Rosita and Tara wanted to bring Heath and Denise. Carl asked to invite Enid. But then we all decide collectively as a group to let tonight be just about us. It's not fair to create double standards."

Rick shrugged. His nonchalant attitude irritated her even more than Jessie showing up unannounced. "Well I'd hope they'd understand her situation right now."

"Well it would be nice to have a heads up. We don't even have any food left to feed her."

He scrunched his brows in confusion. "Wait, why are you so surprised? It's not like you didn't know they were coming. I told you I invited them."

"No…you didn't. I'd remember that."

"I left you a note on your dresser."

Michonne raised her eyebrow. "Well I never got it. You should've just told me."

"Well…you were sleeping. I was trying to be considerate. Didn't want to disturb you."

"You could've woke me up or told me when we were out on the porch. None of us has seen her since that night….it would've been nice to give everyone a heads up that she'd be here tonight. Make things less awkward."

There it was. _Again._ The deflated tension from the morning resurfaced, filling the air between them with friction.

Rick let out a frustrated sigh, his Southern accent thickening, which only indicated his growing irritation. "Well I forgot. And she's here now. So we'll make do with whatever we have left." He turned to walk away and paused before facing her again.

Michonne raised her eyebrow, urging him to continue.

"I honestly didn't think y'all would mind her being here tonight. I mean she just lost her son. So I'm trying to help. Isn't this what we do? You of all people constantly told me to help them. Get rid of my us versus them mentality. You remember that?"

"Yea, I remember. And you know exactly why I told you that. It has nothing to do with tonight. I was trying not to get you killed or kicked out. And furthermore..."

Michonne paused and bit her bottom lip to stop herself from saying something she'd regret. Who the hell did Rick think he was talking down to her in a condescending tone and constantly throwing Jessie's loss in her face like she was incapable of understanding it? She had to turn her back on him earlier when he talked about the tragedy of losing a child. She didn't want him to see the tears forming in her eyes, ones that were hard to control whenever she thought about Andre. She wanted to yell out she suffered the same loss of a child. She knew the heartbreak of a mother's grief. She knew Rick didn't understand her frustration because she never told him about Andre but it bothered her how he automatically assumed that none of them could relate or understand what Jessie was going through. Father. Sister. Brother. Mother. Significant other. They had all lost _something_.

He sighed. "Look Michonne, I'm just trying to-"

Before Rick could continue, Michonne whirled around and walked back into the living room before her reply sparked another argument. She was tired of fighting with him.

The group was now spread out. Sasha, Rosita and Tara on the floor laughing, all officially tipsy from their drink. Eugene, Abraham, Morgan and Father Gabriel engrossed in a game of Bid Whisk at the table while Carl and Daryl watched them. Carol held Judith and chatted with Maggie and Glenn about parenthood.

Michonne took a seat on the other end of the table, the chatter and laughter helping her to relax. But the moment was short lived. She didn't have to turn around to know when Rick and Jessie had entered the room. All conversation came to an immediate halt.

Everyone's eyes looked toward the front of the room, curious glances darted between Jessie and Rick.

"I invited Jessie to join us this evening," Rick announced in a firm tone as he looked around the room, "She's staying." Michonne took note of the defensive tone in his voice, most likely a result of their heated conversation.

Eugene was the first one to speak. "Let me be the first to welcome you. Glad you can join our family dinner. Well technically you're not family but any friend of Rick is a friend of ours."

For once Michonne appreciated Eugene's inability to think before speaking. And for pointing out the obvious. Jessie wasn't family.

Tara cleared her throat. "Ditto. I think we ran out of food though."

Rosita giggled and nudged her in the stomach. The rest of the group said their hellos, none of them appearing too eager to speak. The moment felt awkward. None of them had spoken to Jessie in length since Ron's death and had the opportunity to offer their condolences.

Jessie shuffled her feet appearing to be just as uncomfortable as everyone else as she waved an awkward hello. A thick silence hung in the air. Michonne shot Rick an "I-told-you-so" glance.

Carol leaned across the table and gave Jessie a tiny smile. "Did you get the pie? I left it on your front porch."

Jessie nodded. "I wasn't sure if that was you. Thank you."

"Well that was from all of us." Carol's eyes did a quick sweep around the room. "I can speak on behalf of everyone when I say we're all real sorry for your loss."

Jessie's eyes casted down on the floor as she took a seat across from the table. "I appreciate that. Thank you everyone."

Rick appeared from the kitchen with a small plate of food. He was able to scrounge up leftovers from the side dishes. He placed the food down on the table. "Shame you missed Michonne's casserole, but we got some leftovers."

Carol winked at Michonne. "Yea because everything else taste like rubber."

They laughed, the uneasiness is the air dissolving as everyone returned to their current activities.

Jessie surveyed the table as she nibbled on her food. She pointed to the empty champagne glasses gathered at the end of the table. "Are you all celebrating something?"

Michonne looked across the table at the expecting couple and remained silent. The pregnancy wasn't her news to share. Maggie appeared hesitant until Glenn reached over and gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. Michonne understood Maggie's reluctance to share their pregnancy news with Jessie.

"Yes, we're expecting," Maggie told her.

Jessie coughed, almost choking on her water in surprise. "Wow. That's…that's great. Congrats. I mean…" She took another sip of water and paused.

"Go on." Maggie urged her to continue.

"I'm just wondering if the thought of having a baby out here scares you."

Maggie shook her head. "Not anymore. Out there trying to make it every day is another story. But here is different. Nothing's 100 percent safe as we all just witnessed, but when it comes to raising a child, this is about as good as we've had it since this whole mess began. If we want to raise and protect a child, it would be here. It could work."

Michonne noticed the sadness in Jessie's eyes, and eventually her eyes filled with tears.

Maggie's eyes widened. "I'm so sorry, Jessie. I didn't mean to…"

Jessie held up her hand. "No, it's not you at all. And I am really happy for you two. It's just that I always thought I could keep my boys safe too. Especially behind these walls. I thought they stood a chance."

The room fell eerily silent. Their joyous moment now overshadowed with sadness. Michonne looked down the table at Rick, who was now eating a slice of Jessie's pie and either oblivious to the mood change in the room or purposely choosing to ignore it.

As soon as Jessie excused herself to go to the bathroom, Michonne left the table and stepped into the kitchen to escape the tension for a moment. She was soon followed by Sasha and Maggie. Eventually Carol, Rosita and Tara joined them.

Maggie looked at Michonne. "Did you know she was coming tonight?"

"Nope I'm just surprised as you are. Rick invited her."

"What?" Tara rolled her eyes. "That's bogus. We could have invited-"

"I know," Michonne held up her hand, "But it is what it is for now."

Carol nodded in agreement. "Look, I'm not exactly thrilled how the night is going too but Michonne's right. And we have to cut her some slack. We all know Ron had his issues, but there is nothing worse than losing a child so she's going through it."

"Don't I know it." Michonne mumbled the words without even realizing she said them out loud until Carol placed a hand on her shoulder. She gave Michonne a light squeeze before pulling away. The two shared a look. An unspoken understanding passed between them. No words were necessary. Michonne felt grateful that everyone else remained oblivious to their private moment.

"I do feel bad for her. But talk about a Debbie downer moment." Tara flashed Maggie a sympathetic look. "Sorry it ruined your moment, Mags."

Maggie shrugged appearing to be unbothered, although her eyes showed a slight disappointment. "Well I guess if Jessie and Rick are going to be a thing then we'd better get used to it."

Sasha held up her hand. "Wait, they're a thing now?"

All heads and eyes turned toward Michonne's direction, waiting in silence for an answer. She stared at them blankly. "Why is everyone looking at me? I know just as much as you do."

Rosita shrugged. "Okay, not expected but I guess it's cool that he found someone here." She looked at Michonne. "It's just when I first met the group, I almost thought you and him…" Rosita hesitated.

"You thought, me and Rick what?"

"We're together but then I realized you were just good friends."

Tara squealed. "OMG, me too. I thought it was just me."

Michonne snorted at their assumption. "Well that's crazy. I don't know why you two would think that." She waited for the others to validate their craziness, especially Maggie and Carol who had been around her and Rick since the prison and could attest to how they almost hated each other initially, but they remained silent. No one came to her defense.

She shrugged their remarks off. "I can assure you we've always just been friends. No one has time for romance anyway when you're trying to survive."

Sasha shook her head. "Um…look around Michonne. All of us has had some version of romance here at one point." The pained expression on Sasha's face wasn't lost on any of them. Sasha really cared about Bob.

Carol cleared her throat. "I'll have to agree with Michonne on this one. We've got too many other things on our plates. No one has time for that, Sasha. Well most of us don't."

Sasha shook her head at Carol. "Says the one who takes evening strolls with Tobin almost every day. Yea Carol, this doesn't apply to you either." Carol rolled her eyes at Sasha and looked away.

"I'm just saying girl," Sasha continued, "I saw you talking to Keith the other day. I'm not saying let your guard down. I'm just saying…going for a run with Mr. Keith or taking an evening stroll, like Ms. Carol here, won't hurt. Could be a fresh start."

Michonne couldn't help but to laugh at Sasha's observation. "You saw us talking? Is that part of your lookout duty?"

"Hey it's my job to watch _all_ activity. I don't know much about him but he's very attractive and seems nice. He asked me about you too a few days ago."

"Ooohh" Rosita, Maggie and Tara replied in unison.

A smile reappeared on Maggie's face. "Well that has to be a good sign, right? If he's asking about her that has to mean he's interested."

"Girl, of course he is," Rosita chimed in. "I know a thing or two about relationships and men only ask questions when they're interested."

Michonne tuned them out as they continued talking about her as if she wasn't standing right in front of them. She regretted not going to her bedroom for some alone time. She came to the kitchen to escape an awkward moment but now she felt even more uncomfortable as the others speculated about Rick's possible relationship and her lack of a love life. Especially because the girls did have a point. She just never had a chance to think about the situation until now. Everyone was moving on, including Rick.

They heard footsteps in the doorway. She turned around and saw Rick with an amused smile on his face. She wondered how much he heard, if anything.

"I'd hate to break up this tea party but there's something you all might want to hear."

* * *

Everyone gathered around Rick in the living room, the majority of them waiting anxiously for his announcement. Michonne wasn't certain he would tell them tonight after Maggie's announcement—she figured he didn't want to ruin the happy occasion—but she felt relieved that he decided to share the news. The sooner they all knew, the better. They could prepare and stay on guard if needed.

Michonne noticed Jessie lingering in the entryway, as if she didn't want to interrupt.

"Look, I didn't want to talk to all you tonight but I don't have a choice. Not sure when we'll all have the chance to be together like this with our schedules and all. And I want you to hear this from me."

Carol frowned. "Rick, what is it?"

"Sasha says she saw someone watching us last night. Now it could be nothing. But there's a chance it could be something so that's the only reason why I'm telling you all. Not to get anyone nervous or riled up. I'm gonna need everyone to be on guard for any and everything that looks suspicious. And if it you see something out of place, you report it immediately to me, Michonne, Daryl or Glenn. Is that understood?"

"Did you tell Deanna?" Maggie asked.

"No because there's nothing to tell. And let's not have this information leave this room." Rick looked around the room, his eyes lingering a little longer on Gabriel before he continued."We don't need this situation to escalate. There's no need to get anyone else involved or cause a panic attack. Everyone's still trying to come back from the herd attack. This stays here between us for now. If it needs to go any further, you all will be the first to know."

Michonne agreed with Rick on this one. Telling the others could create unnecessary chaos. They couldn't risk it right now.

Jessie had taken a seat at the table and watched them in silence, her face tight and grim. Michonne studied her, unsure if they should trust her with this information, but Rick had already decided for them. He may have trusted Jessie, but Michonne had her guard up with anyone who wasn't a part of her family. Everyone else had to earn her trust. And only time would tell if they deserved it.

* * *

Things began to wind down a little after midnight. The men kept their word and cleaned up the kitchen. Most of their company said their goodbyes and headed home. Abe carried home a tipsy Rosita, while Sasha and Tara fell asleep on the floor.

Daryl dozed off in the recliner, but not before confessing that he intended on telling her about the intruder when he stopped by that morning, but changed his mind when she opened up the door. "I thought you was gonna chop my head off with your sword. You look pissed."

She laughed. "Yea, well you're not the one I wanted to chop."

"Figured that much." He closed his eyes and drifted off into sleep before she could respond.

Other than Tara's snoring, the house was quiet. Michonne turned off the light before she sat on the couch and closed her eyes. She wanted to catch her breath before she went upstairs and got into her own bed.

Michonne suddenly felt someone on the couch next to her, jarring her from her sleep. She hadn't even heard the front door open and close. She opened her eyes and found Rick next to her. He had walked Jessie home. She had her doubts that he would return but he promised he would come back home tonight. A part of her wanted to stay up to make sure he kept his word.

He nodded his head toward Sasha and Tara sprawled out on the floor. "For once, I'm glad Tara snores. I almost stepped on the back of Sasha's head.

"Sorry, I should have kept on the light for you…I just wasn't sure if you'd be home right away or…"

"Well, I said I would. I'm here."

 _Was that disappointment in his voice?_ Maybe she imagined it. Or maybe he really didn't want to be home tonight. It was hard to tell since she couldn't see his face in the dark. She regretted not keeping the light on.

They settled back on the couch in silence. It reminded her of how they used to sit on the couch and chat at the end of the day—but it had been awhile since they engaged in that nightly routine.

She was almost asleep again when Rick spoke.

"Long day. I'm sure you're really tired. You stilll working out in the morning?"

His question reminded her of the conversation she had with Sasha and the ladies in the kitchen earlier and how they alluded to Keith's interest in her.

"Yup. I plan on going running."

"So you have a new running buddy?"

 _So he was eavesdropping._

"Possibly. We'll see."

"Do…Do I know him?"

Even in the dark, she could feel Rick looking at her, waiting for an answer. He usually never inquired about her morning workout routine.

"You've seen him. His name is Keith."

"Keith…hmmm…not ringing a bell." He paused. "Do we know his last name?"

Michonne grunted. "No, _we_ don't. And you picked a hell of a time," she paused to stretch out her arms and yawn, "to inquire about my workout routine."

"I just want to know for safety reasons. We've got some weird things happening around here if you haven't noticed. And you brought up someone I never heard or noticed before."

"Well you can sleep easy tonight Columbo. I'm positive you've seen him before. And he's not the intruder Sasha saw on lookout."

"Didn't say he was. I just wanted to know…"

"Okay, now you know. Am I free to go to bed?"

He laughed. "Yea, but don't go too far in case I have follow up questions."

Michonne stretched. "You know where to find me."

As she stood up from the couch, Rick reached out and wrapped his fingers tenderly around her wrist, his sudden gesture causing her drowsiness to immediately disappear. Now that he had her full attention she expected him to release his grip but it remained there. Soft. Gentle.

"I just wanted to thank you again for everything today. And you were right about Jessie. I shouldn't have invited her…at least not tonight. If I knew about Maggie and Glenn's big news I would have just had family here and…"

Michonne rested her free hand on top of his and gave it a squeeze. "It's okay, Rick. You didn't know. And you know I hate to say this…but I told you so."

He laughed. "No need to lie, Michonne. You never hate to say it."

"You're right. I don't."

They shared another laugh before they let go of each other's hand.

"I'm going to sit here for a little bit. Goodnight Michonne."

"Goodnight Rick."

And just like that they were back to normal. Again.

 _But for how long?_

* * *

Michonne walked down the stairs at daybreak and found Rick still asleep on the sofa. Sometime in the night Sasha and Daryl had switched. She was curled up in the recliner while Daryl laid on the floor in the corner opposite of Tara.

She stretched out her calf muscles outside and sprinted down the steps, anticipating how the morning would turn out. She didn't have to wonder for long. She found Keith waiting in his running attire at the end of the block with a huge grin on his face.

"I told you I'd be out here waiting for you."

She suppressed a laugh. "I see. I'm impressed."

"Good. But I'm sure that will change once we start." He looked over at her, another smile spreading across his handsome face. "Just let me know when you're ready to start."

Michonne returned his smile and gave him a slight nod toward the street.

"Ready when you are."


End file.
